LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Milwaukee women's volleyball team ran into stiff competition at the USC Trojan Challenge and dropped a pair of matches to New Mexico State (3-1) and San Jose State (3-1).
 
Milwaukee (1-10) faced a tough defensive team in Saturday's opener, falling to New Mexico State 3-1. The Aggies totaled 13.0 blocks and 79 digs while holding MKE to a .181 attack percentage.
 
After dropping the first two sets, the Panthers got one back after hitting .333 with just one miscue.
 
In the fourth, back-to-back kills by Ari Miller and Madi Malone had the Panthers up four at 16-12, but New Mexico State (7-4) scored eight of the next nine points to take the lead by three.
 
From there, three kills and an MKE error helped NMSU earn a 3-1 win.
 
Miller and Malone had 13 kills apiece while Bri Geurts added 11. Josie Johnson and Kaley Blake combined for 39 assists and 21 digs.
 
MKE got it going in game one of the nightcap, hitting .412 with 18 kills in the first set to take the frame 25-23.

In the first, Miller put away her 1,000 career kill, becoming just the 15th player in program history to reach that mark. 
 
San Jose (6-3) bounced back, hitting at least .300 in each of the next three sets to top the Panthers.
 
MKE trailed by four in the third and rattled off four of the next five points but dropped a 25-22 decision.
 
SJSU gained control early in the fourth and never looked back, taking a 25-20 victory to hand MKE the loss.
 
Miller led the Panthers with 13 kills, hitting .500. The junior also added four blocks.
 
Czhen Beneby recorded 11 kills with a .450 attack percentage and also tallied three blocks.
 
MKE heads into Horizon League action next, taking on Purdue Fort Wayne on Tuesday, September 20 before returning home on September 23-24.
 
Follow along this season with the Panthers on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as well as the web at MKEPanthers.com.